New Zealand—part of a suffering world

Published: 22 April 2008(GMT+10)

Last week, my country of New Zealand was reeling from the tragic deaths of six young
people and a teacher, in a river canyon accident that has highlighted both the preciousness
and the fragility of human life. Accompanied by professional guides from an outdoor
pursuits centre, the party was ambushed by a virtual wall of water in a constricted
forest gorge and all were swept away, leading to the tragic deaths.

Six of this group were senior high school students and close bonded friends by virtue
of attending the same Christian school, and all sharing a strong and personal Christian
faith. The seventh member of the group was similarly a Christian and a well-loved
teacher at the school of some 500 pupils.

As well as giving rise to seven grieving families and a mourning school fraternity,
it transpires that each of the victims attended a different church, thereby widening
the circle of sorrow and loss. In fact it was clear from the media coverage that
everyone (media included) in this small nation have been deeply affected.

Even under the glare of publicity and through the sorrow, what has been so evident
was exemplified by the Pastor of the Elim church to which the school is attached.
Asked how they could cope with such loss, he simply shared that although Christians
are in no way immune to this world’s woes they have a faith that gives them
hope at the darkest of times. This was well illustrated by the surviving students
who shared how, through a long night, they were able to support each other and just
be there for each other, praying for the missing members and quietly singing Christian
songs.

although Christians are in no way immune to this world’s woes they have a
faith that gives them hope at the darkest of times

As the shock of such an incident subsides, what rises up is the big question as
to why a loving God would allow this to happen. Probably a good place to start is
with Jesus’ clear statement when asked about the victims of a collapsing tower.
He affirmed that it was not because they were worse sinners than the rest of the
population (Luke 13). However Jesus goes on to underline the malevolent
role of sin generally in the present plight of this world. The history in Genesis
chapter 3 makes it very plain that this world of suffering is the result of mankind’s
catastrophic rebellion against God. If that history is undermined, as is continually
happening in our western culture through the teaching of evolution and long ages,
then it also undermines the way in which even such tragedies ‘make sense’
in the light of this biblical ‘big picture’—a good world, ruined
by sin, to be restored in the future.

The good news (the Gospel) is that God Himself sent his own Son, Jesus, to bear
the punishment for mankind’s sin—thereby preparing the way for that
restoration of our world one day to a sinless, deathless future paradise—ultimately,
a New Heavens and Earth. It is also the Christian’s strong belief that all
who die trusting in Christ will awaken to find themselves (the same day!) in paradise
with the Lord—as did the dying but believing thief on the cross.

This is the rock solid basis for the confidence expressed by the pastor in this
present tragedy. The Bible says

‘Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,
who comforts us in our troubles.’ (2 Corinthians
1:3-4)

What a contrast to the black despair and hopelessness facing atheists and agnostics
when confronted by death and suffering. What a tragedy that there are today an increasing
number of these, a trend dramatically accelerated by the teaching of antibiblical
philosophies in secular schools, universities and the media under the guise of ‘science’.

Thank God for parents who give their children a Christian education. The Christian,
and indeed the Christian community, find that although sorrowing, Jesus enables
us to walk over the waters of grief and not sink under them. This wonderful privilege
is God’s best plan for every person—the Bible says ‘Whosoever
will may come.’

Recommended Resources

Why does God allow suffering? Co-author Ken Ham describes his family’s years
of heartbreak, as his beloved brother Robert, a dynamic young preacher of the Gospel,
died from a rare degenerative brain disease. Co-author Carl Wieland recalls his
own personal tragedy in a horrific car accident more than twenty years ago, which
left him horribly mangled. By drawing on their own experiences and using the Bible
to answer the hard questions, they present remarkable answers for hurting people.

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